![Sample our Health and Social Care journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5938/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Health-Social-Care.jpg"})
Abstract
We report the results of a growth model analysis of the impact of a Family Empowerment Intervention (FEI) on the self-reported involvement in delinquency among youths processed at the Hillsborough County Juvenile Assessment Center who entered a NIDA funded project between September 1, 1994, and January 31, 1998. Families involved in the project were randomly assigned to either receive an Extended Services Intervention (ESI) or the FEI. Families in the ESI group received monthly phone contacts and, if indicated, referral information; FEI families received three one-hour, home-based meetings per week for approximately 10 weeks from a clinician-trained paraprofessional. By seeking to improve family functioning by empowering parents, it was hypothesized that target youths' behavior and psychosocial functioning would improve. Analysis indicated that reported frequency of involvement in delinquency declined more over time for FEI completers than other youths in the study. The results provide support for the impact of FEI services on reported frequency of delinquent behavior over a 36-month follow-up period.